Fixtures & Results
Eastwood - Sunday 3rd July 2011
Match report by Paul
Much confusion before the match – will it be 2 x 20 overs, 1 x 25 overs and 1 x 20?? But at the pre match captains chat we settled on a 45 over game. I invited Eastwood to have a bat as they had beat us batting second last year and it seemed the right thing to do – plus I still prefer being on the balcony for the second half.
We had a new ball and Richard was eager to crack on (predominantly because he had to leave at 4pm to go to work) however when I offered the new ball opportunity out there was a deadly silence and indeed Andy Gaunt did a quick U turn and walked the other way. So it was left to Smudge to give it a burst at the other end.
It was Brown Dog jnr who got an early breakthrough on 13, but that lead to the ever daunting prospect of Neil Gregory ambling to the middle. A 132 run partnership followed in 23 overs with the unlikely outcome of Benno not taking a wicket at Eastwood.
However there was one spinner (erm slow bowler) that was in the wickets – namely David Spencer, cometh the hour cometh the pacemaker man! Six overs, five wickets for forty runs! A delightful mixture of deliveries ranging from 10mph to 40mph (effort ball) and no one more delighted (or surprised) than Spinno himself to bag a bowling trophy for the haul.
Eastwood wilted a little from 180-2 to 234-10 then the agreed last man added 32 with his partner so it was 266-10 off 40 overs. 54 runs and eight wickets is a good effort in the middle there and everything was going right at this stage – not least a stunning catch at cover by Adey, 2 stumpings and 2 catches by Bradley and a stupendous long on catch by Brown Dog snr who didn't have to move one pace to one that was drilled at him. Danny picked 2 wickets up with some medium pace and just Crossy and Jez chose not to bowl.
Halfway through the first innings the game was halted for the team to go over and shake the hand of former DCC legend Keith Brown, who had called in to watch and before long two other A listers namely Mark Dawson and Steve Mee appeared. I was hopeful we could do them justice in the run chase – 266 off 45 overs.....maybe?
Frankly, sadly not – nowhere near. Indeed at 10-0 in the eighth it was crystal clear we were up against it. At 93-4 in the 30th even less so. However, credit where it's due things would have looked significantly worse had it not been for the doggedness of Ady who made a solid 41. Along with Crossy's 30.
The innings closed at 144-8 and the A listers dispersed – except for Daws who had another couple of pints – ‘no point rushing off Kid'
Bit of an anti climax to be honest ........
Best part of the day?......sharing so many stories from years and games gone by with Keith ........it occurred to me that the Legends game on 31st July and the 50 years of the Club event will be a great success if a small proportion of the huge repertoire of stories come out – magic!